Had the day off work today because my Kindle is supposed to be delivered. It's ten past two and it's still not here. C'mon driver hurry up, can't wait to download some books.
Why have I bought a Kindle. I love reading, have heard rumours that Waterstones may be closing, can't get ten books in my handbag and I haven't got any storage room at home for the books I already have, let alone buy more. Wasn't that bothered about one but my friend bought hers into work and let me have a play and it was absolutley great. Favourite books I will still buy but this way I can read them on kindle and have the hard back copies in pristine condition on my bookshelves..
Went to listen to John Harvey talk about his latest book last wednesday. I really enjoyed it. He was very funny and gave out a lot of writing advice (I really do need a white board). He was such a nice man. I have found that about a lot of authors, met Nicola Monaghan and Derrick Buttress at an event to celebrate the life of Alan Sillitoe and they were lovely too.
My husband has bought a new camera and is now trying very hard to get the perfect shot! it would be great if he became the next David Bailey because I could give up my job and write full time.
More Soon - Chez
Monday, 7 March 2011
Sunday, 13 February 2011
End of a long week
Haven't blogged all week because I've been busy planning out my novel, which has been harder than I thought it would be. I've only completed the beginning, still got the middle and the end to go. Still I have completed the character sketches for all my main characters and written my story profile. (Here's me thinking you just sat at your computer and wrote the book, there's more to this writing game than I thought lol).
Haven't actually wrote any more of my novel yet but I already know that I'm going to re-write most of it. I plan to look at it later to see which of my dahlings I can salvage and which I am going to murder.
I also planned to go out on a couple of walks this weekend but the weather has been so awful, very wet and grey, that I didn't bother. Which is all well and good but I do need to shed a few pounds and I'm not going to do that sitting at my computer.
It's hard to make people understand that a lot of writing time is actually taken up with thinking about what you're going to write. I think I upset my family (who I love to bits) last week by telling them I was not to be disturbed. Luckily for me there's been plenty of rugby and football on the telly this weekend so my hubby as had something to keep him occupied, same with my son and my daughter has a new dog that she doesn't want to leave in her house on it's own so they've not bothered me too much, and I haven't had to offend them by telling them to leave me alone.
Anyway this blog is distracting me from working on my novel
More Soon - Chez
Haven't actually wrote any more of my novel yet but I already know that I'm going to re-write most of it. I plan to look at it later to see which of my dahlings I can salvage and which I am going to murder.
I also planned to go out on a couple of walks this weekend but the weather has been so awful, very wet and grey, that I didn't bother. Which is all well and good but I do need to shed a few pounds and I'm not going to do that sitting at my computer.
It's hard to make people understand that a lot of writing time is actually taken up with thinking about what you're going to write. I think I upset my family (who I love to bits) last week by telling them I was not to be disturbed. Luckily for me there's been plenty of rugby and football on the telly this weekend so my hubby as had something to keep him occupied, same with my son and my daughter has a new dog that she doesn't want to leave in her house on it's own so they've not bothered me too much, and I haven't had to offend them by telling them to leave me alone.
Anyway this blog is distracting me from working on my novel
More Soon - Chez
Monday, 7 February 2011
Monday, monday
Today was just work, work, work and I don't mean writing. Have done very little writing today that wasn't connected to my day job.
Read a really good post 'Running our races and becoming winners' by Jody Hedlund on her blogspot regarding work/life balance or rather writing/family time balance, really think I need to look at my work/writing balance. One of my colleagues suggested I try job share, if only, it really isn't an option in these present economic times, but one day
I've decided that I need to set myself daily writing targets. My target for tomorrow is to write up the article I planned out on saturday and try to do at least 800 words of my novel.
I also read Nicola Morgans blogspot which is full of really useful advice for the newbe writer but I did find myself wondering am I good enough at the moment, am I writing the right book? Personally I think I can write. Whether I writing the right stuff I'm not sure. I love crime and mystery novels I read them all the time I am going to read a lot more of them so I'm fully conversant with the gendre. And I am going to persevere with the articles but I'm not delusional. I don't know if I'm good enough at this moment in time but I will be.
More Soon - Chez
Read a really good post 'Running our races and becoming winners' by Jody Hedlund on her blogspot regarding work/life balance or rather writing/family time balance, really think I need to look at my work/writing balance. One of my colleagues suggested I try job share, if only, it really isn't an option in these present economic times, but one day
I've decided that I need to set myself daily writing targets. My target for tomorrow is to write up the article I planned out on saturday and try to do at least 800 words of my novel.
I also read Nicola Morgans blogspot which is full of really useful advice for the newbe writer but I did find myself wondering am I good enough at the moment, am I writing the right book? Personally I think I can write. Whether I writing the right stuff I'm not sure. I love crime and mystery novels I read them all the time I am going to read a lot more of them so I'm fully conversant with the gendre. And I am going to persevere with the articles but I'm not delusional. I don't know if I'm good enough at this moment in time but I will be.
More Soon - Chez
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Second Day - Lazy Sunday
I've had the most uninspiring day today, couldn't seem to get settled on anything. Worked for a couple of hours on my novel, which seems to be coming along nicely but I didn't get much further with my article. Hubby caught me watching the IPlayer on my laptop so the cats out of the bag on that. Going to read some more magazines tonight to get some ideas. Just feel like I've wasted a day.
More Soon - Chez
More Soon - Chez
Saturday, 5 February 2011
The end of the first day
It's been an interesting day. I told the kids yesterday that I didn't want to be disturbed this weekend because I wanted to write and of course they ignored me, in fact I think I got more phone calls off them today than I did last saturday. Even so I managed to plan out an article and write a letter that I am sending off to a well known mag.
Am going to relax now and read a few magazines, you never know I may get a few more story ideas.
More Soon - Chez
Am going to relax now and read a few magazines, you never know I may get a few more story ideas.
More Soon - Chez
Getting Started
Why have I set up this blog ? For years I've messed around with bits of writing, but never had anything published. I sent a few short stories to magazines (I have the rejection slips) and have a half completed manuscript for a novel I started but never finished and now it's time to get serious.
The problem was I didn't take time to learn the craft and, as I've found out, writing is a craft. I was never going to get anything published because I didn't do my research. The stories I sent in weren't suitable for the magazines I was sending them to so they were bound to be rejected. Years ago I did take a creative writing course but the tutor wasn't very inspiring and I found that it knocked my confidence in my writing rather than build it up. All this sound like a lot of excuses for not actually knuckling down to doing the writing (and it is) but all that has changed, now that I've hit the big Five O I have signed up for a home study course (I work full time) and this time I will be published!
I've read lots of books, two of the most inspiring for me have been Stephen king's 'On Writing' and Jane Wenham-Jones' 'Wannabe a writer?' and I'd like to thank both those authors for giving me the courage to put pen to paper. I've converted my back bedroom (My kids have all flown the nest) into a writing room, I found the TV too distracting downstairs, and banned my husband from entering. My writing room comes complete with kettle and tea making stuff so I don't have the excuse that I have to go downstairs to make a cuppa (not had time to get a mini-fridge or wine yet but that will come) and I'm ready to start my journey.
More Soon - Chez
The problem was I didn't take time to learn the craft and, as I've found out, writing is a craft. I was never going to get anything published because I didn't do my research. The stories I sent in weren't suitable for the magazines I was sending them to so they were bound to be rejected. Years ago I did take a creative writing course but the tutor wasn't very inspiring and I found that it knocked my confidence in my writing rather than build it up. All this sound like a lot of excuses for not actually knuckling down to doing the writing (and it is) but all that has changed, now that I've hit the big Five O I have signed up for a home study course (I work full time) and this time I will be published!
I've read lots of books, two of the most inspiring for me have been Stephen king's 'On Writing' and Jane Wenham-Jones' 'Wannabe a writer?' and I'd like to thank both those authors for giving me the courage to put pen to paper. I've converted my back bedroom (My kids have all flown the nest) into a writing room, I found the TV too distracting downstairs, and banned my husband from entering. My writing room comes complete with kettle and tea making stuff so I don't have the excuse that I have to go downstairs to make a cuppa (not had time to get a mini-fridge or wine yet but that will come) and I'm ready to start my journey.
More Soon - Chez
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